Former Nursing Home Business Manager Sentenced to Three Years’ Probation for Stealing $18K from Residents’ Accounts

The Honorable Gerald P. Sharlow of the Massena Village Court sentenced Wendy Vice, the former business manager at the Highland Nursing Home in Massena, New York to three years’ probation in March 2014 for stealing $18,000 from residents’ accounts. Vice will also be required to attend counseling for a gambling problem as part of her sentence. On September 25, 2013, Vice pled guilty to petit larceny.

According to the Attorney General’s office, Vice worked as the business manager at the Highland Nursing Home and was responsible for overseeing the Resident Trust Account that is used by patients to keep small amounts of cash for safekeeping. However, from 2011 to 2012, Vice stole money from the account by making false entries into record books and forging patients’ names on receipts. When officials at Highland discovered that money was missing from the account, Vice admitted to her wrongdoing. She has since repaid the facility over $10,000. Highland reimbursed residents who had money stolen.

Commenting on Vice’s guilty plea, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman stated, “Nursing home residents entrust a great deal of control of their lives–physically, financially and emotionally–to the staff members of these facilities, who are obligated to honor that trust. Highland Nursing Home detected the crime, reported it and recovered the losses; but I encourage all nursing homes and other residential facilities to maintain safeguards to prevent such thefts. My office will keep fighting to ensure that those who take advantage of vulnerable nursing home residents will be held accountable.”